Men's Basketball

Men's Basketball Races Past Keene State, 105-93

NORTH DARTMOUTH, MA-The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's men's basketball team built a 15-point halftime lead and outraced host Keene State, 105-93, in the second game of a Little East Conference doubleheader on the final day of the regular season at Spaulding Gym Saturday.

Leading 14-13, the Corsairs used an 11-1 run to open up a 25-14 lead with 11:08 remaining in the first half. Junior forward Kyle Yeadon (Hanson, MA/Whitman-Hanson HS) ignited the run with a three-pointer, sophomore center Lance Greene (Dorchester, MA/Charlestown HS/UMass Lowell) added a lay-up and a dunk, and senior guard Tyler Turtoro (Shelton, CT/Shelton HS) capped it with a trey.

After Derek D'Amours hit a pair of free throws for the Owls to cut UMD's advantage to 32-22 with 8:19 to play, the Corsairs scored 13 of the next 15 points to take a 45-24 lead with 4:10 to go. Greene contributed a pair of lay-ups and a free throw, Yeadon added a lay-up, and Turtoro completed the streak with another lay-up. Cody Snow's lay-up and a free throw by D'Amours allowed the Owls to cut their deficit to 50-35 at halftime.

UMass Dartmouth built a 21-point advantage in the second half, and led, 71-53 with 11:42 remaining when KSC rallied. D'Amours hit a three-pointer, Snow followed with a lay-up, and then D'Amours connected on a three-point play, and followed with two more free throws and another trey. Anthony Mariano added two free throws to cap a 15-0 run and make it 71-68 with 9:12 remaining.

Sophomore guard Paul Rose (Boston, MA/North Cambridge Catholic HS/Massachusetts Bay CC) responded with a jumper to end the run. After D'Amours hit a lay-up, Greene connected on a free throw, and then junior forward Brandon Stephens (Dorchester, MA/Newton North HS) hit a trey, a lay-up, and a pair of free throws to make it 81-70 with 6:58 to play. A lay-up by D'Amours and a three-pointer by Stantial made it 81-75, but sophomore guard Steve Ramos (Lynn, MA/Hebron Academy/Franklin Pierce) hit two free throws and a lay-up, then Stephens followed with a pair of lay-ups to make it 89-75 with 4:21 left.

"It was an up and down game, and we played with a lot of energy," said UMass Dartmouth Head Coach Brian Baptiste. "We were going to press the whole game, and run people in and out, and everybody played well. The effort and the intensity were both there, and we got good contributions from the bench. Tyler stepped it up and made some threes, and Lance had a great game. I was pleased with the win."

Stephens led UMass Dartmouth with 23 points, Greene added 21, Rose contributed 15, and Ramos, Turtoro and sophomore guard Alex Klepadlo (Bernardston, MA/Pioneer Valley Regional HS) each scored 11. D'Amours led all scorers with 41 points; Mariano added 16 and Snow had 12. Greene had 14 rebounds for a double double, while Mariano had nine for the Owls as UMD out rebounded Keene State, 45-35. The Corsairs forced 31 turnovers while committing 26, and made 28 of 46 free throw attempts to 17 of 27 for KSC.

The Corsairs improved to 17-8 and 9-5 in the Little East Conference with the victory, while the Owls dropped to 13-12 and 6-8 with the defeat. UMass Dartmouth will return to action when they begin playoff action by hosting Plymouth State Tuesday evening in a Little East Conference quarter-final game.